Tag Archives: Ilene Spiewak

She does the labor of painting. She gets to make the art. She is the vessel. She wrestles infinity to the ground and makes it work. Place your body in relation to a Takenaga painting. Delight in catastrophe. Hover. Wrestle yourself to the ground. Feel good about it. On a beautiful Berkshire … Continue reading →

At the time of year when we’re looking for light and warmth in New England, artists from the Berkshires and beyond contribute their talents to the Winter Arts Festival in Pittsfield, MA. This year’s sixth annual festival ran from February 16th – 26th, highlighting hundreds of visual artists, actors, playwrights, musicians, poets, and dancers in … Continue reading →

15,000 square foot Building 5 at MassMoCA offers a daunting challenge for any artist as an installation space. The gallery is the size of a football field; it’s a seductive, performative space that was originally a factory building complex built between 1870 and 1900. MassMoCA, located in North Adams, MA has 19 large gallery … Continue reading →

Eight years ago I came to live, work and paint in the rural Berkshire mountains leaving Philadelphia, where I had spent most of my life. For the first time I had a studio space separate from my home and it was located, in the lush woods of my backyard. I felt as lucky as Norman … Continue reading →

Fall has arrived in New England. It was a perfect weekend for sampling apple cider donuts and visiting the Bennington Museum with my spouse. Once a Catholic Church, the museum has undergone many renovations and expansions overtime. Its origins can be traced back to the 1777 battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War and a … Continue reading →

Get to know our authors through the new Contributor Series. A group of short posts from Proximity Arts members. Allow us to share our work and our thoughts on making work with you. For the first instillation Ilene has written a paragraph that speaks to the relationships between still life, landscape and the figure. This poetic … Continue reading →

A good creative arts education is essential for learning and the process of making art is an emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, and physically complicated one. All levels of art education emphasize the value of individual creative exploration, critical thinking and use of imagination. Aesthetic development begins as soon a the child makes a mark; beauty and … Continue reading →

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Mission

PROXIMITY [prox·im·i·ty] nearness in space, time, or relationship.

Proximity Arts was formed by a small group of artists as a way of sharing our thoughts on art and art making.

Our mission is to write about art from the perspective of those actively involved in the process of making. We strive to engage with art both critically and materially fostering a dialogue that can address the state of contemporary art from the artist’s point of view.